Two men allegedly raped and murdered a Vietnamese nail worker then took a selfie of themselves minutes after setting light to her body, a court has heard.

Stephen Unwin and William John McFall had been “joking” about their attack on Quyen Ngoc Nguyen before she was found dead on August 15 last year, Newcastle Crown Court was told.

Jamie Hill, prosecuting, told how a series of messages between the two men referred to “raping the Chink”, using the drug Rohipnol and “do you want a Vietnamese?”.

Ms Nguyen’s body was found in the back of her Audi A4 five hours after she had been captured on CCTV arriving at the home Unwin and McFall, originally from Greenisland, Co Antrim, shared in Shiney Row, Tyne and Wear, he said.

The two men were seen on CCTV walking from the allotments where they had allegedly dumped and set light to her vehicle, with her still alive inside.

Unwin, 40, was said to have withdrawn money using her bank card within minutes of emergency services finding her body.

The victim’s DNA was found alongside 51-year-old McFall’s on a gun found at Unwin’s house, the lounge pants worn by Unwin and underwear worn by McFall, the jury heard.

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The court heard Ms Nguyen met Unwin when he did maintenance work on properties which she let, and were being used to grow cannabis.

In initial interviews, both denied any involvement in her death, before seeking to blame one another, Mr Hill said. Unwin, of Shiney Row, Tyne and Wear, and McFall, of Waterloo Road, Blackpool, deny murder and rape. The trial continues.